2010: International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures

When UNESCO’s Constitution made it a “sacred duty” of its Member States “to increase the means of communication between their peoples”, it acknowledged that “mutual understanding and truer and more perfect knowledge of each other's lives” underpin the construction of “defences of peace” “in the minds of men”.  As the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, 2010 bids us to renew this peaceful pact, bringing the auspicious groundwork of the “Dialogue of Civilizations” into deeper realms of everyday experience. 

• Rapprochement of Cultures: A hallmark for cultural policy-making
• High-Level Panel on Peace and Dialogue among Cultures: Bringing together multiple partners
• Borrowings, transfers and exchanges: Over 350 activities in fifty countries
• Poster contest on the rapprochement of cultures: A vision in design
• UNESCO / UNITWIN Chair in New Zealand:  Building specific intercultural competencies